Spring Football Update 3/22

The Trojans completed a two and a half hour workout without pads yesterday on Howard Jones Field.

RB Herschel Dennis unfortunately strained his right hamstring while running sprints last week and sat out yesterday's practice. Dennis will likely sit out the first week of spring drills while recovering. "It's very frustrating," he said. "I was ready to come back this week and get with the guys and run some plays. It's a minor setback." With Dennis out, Whitney Lewis and Jody Adewale took the majority of the snaps at tailback. Brandon Hancock and Ryan Powdrell also alternated at tailback. Lewis "dinged" up his shoulder late in the practice session. Lewis' injury shouldn't be too bad as it was a non-contact practice.

Scott Wolf of the L.A. Daily News reported that RB Chauncey Washington will be academically cleared to play in the fall. But according to Wolf, Washington must receive at least a 3.0 GPA during the spring semester to continue on a football scholarship. That means that Washington could be academically eligible in the fall, but not have enough money to attend USC next year!

Coach Carroll said that both QBs, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez, performed well. "This is a long haul evaluation with no timeline and no expectations," Coach Carroll said.

S Ryan Ting was playing WR during yesterday's practice. I wouldn't expect that to carry over into the spring with incoming freshman WRs Vidal Hazelton, David Ausberry, Jamere Holland, Anthony McCoy and Travon Patterson arriving on campus.

USCFootball.com (Rivals) has a free post up that lists some details of the passing game during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills from yesterday's practice.

Rivals reported that Matt Spanos started at LG over Jeff Byers during yesterday's practice and that Jeff Schweiger started at DE over Kyle Moore. The general consensus is that if Byers is 100% healthy the 2004 Gatorade National High School Player-of-the-Year will overtake Spanos early this spring.

Newly arrived freshman S Antwine Perez played on the first string defense. Coach Carroll said Perez "did quite well for just surviving the day."

Several incoming freshman were in attendance on the sidelines: RB Stafon Johnson, OL Zack Heberer, DL Alex Parsons, WR Travon Patterson, RB Kenny Ashley and DB Alfred Rowe. Some 2007 prospects were also on-hand: LB Chris Galippo and DB Antwoine Baker.

Coach Carroll had hoped to hire former NFL assistant Al Everest as a graduate assistant for special teams but told reporters yesterday that Everest was "just in here helping, clinicing us for a couple of days and then he's out of here." Scott Wolf reported that the issue with Everest as a G.A. was the late timing of his hiring which meant he was unable to register in time for the spring semester (G.A.'s are required to attend classes). Coach Carroll instead promoted Demetrius Martin to graduate assistant to help Rocky Seto with the defensive backs. Martin formerly served as an assistant coach at Mt. San Antonio College and Pasadena City College. Graduate assistant Sam Anno will remain the special teams coach in the absence of Everest.